Over the weekend, the allegations returned to the fore, and for good reason. The New York Times reported on Saturday:

John F. Kelly, who served as former President Donald J. Trump’s second White House chief of staff, said in a sworn statement that Mr. Trump had discussed having the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies investigate two F.B.I. officials involved in the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia. Mr. Kelly said that his recollection of Mr. Trump’s comments to him was based on notes that he had taken at the time in 2018. Mr. Kelly provided copies of his notes to lawyers for one of the F.B.I. officials, who made the sworn statement public in a court filing.

  • prole
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    1 year ago

    Let’s be clear, Hunter Biden hasn’t actually been formally accused of anything.

    After this much time of people searching for anything, yet there still isn’t enough evidence to make a clear accusation, seems kind of obvious that he doesn’t deserve to go to prison. Unless someone can provide some kind of evidence of criminal activity, but I won’t hold my breath.

    This isn’t a “both sides are the same” thing. Not even close.

    • @skepticalifornia
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      1151 year ago

      Additionally, Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and did not take an oath to uphold the Constitution nor did he have access to classified information that he could mishandle, nor did he have influence over our government’s most powerful arms of justice. There is no comparison between what Hunter Biden and Trump are alleged to have done - but the right would sure like for you to think that they are equivalent.

      • Puppy
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        381 year ago

        Oh they know Hunter did absolutely nothing wrong. They just need a scapegoat for when people point out the obvious crimes Trump committed so they have a “both side” argument.

        They don’t seem to understand nobody cares about Hunter and his “laptop”. It’s just Hillary’s emails 2.0 … with less credibility because they aren’t even targeting a politician 😆

        • Froyn
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          111 year ago

          And like a millions times more the revenge porn. Imagine if that was the content of Hillary’s emails.

      • @[email protected]
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        1 year ago

        Meanwhile Trumps children and Jared Kushner did have much of that and they’re likely criminals. But of course if these people could think, they wouldn’t be Trump supporters.

        • @skepticalifornia
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          61 year ago

          Well said. We’ll likely never know the depth of the gritting or the extent of the damage done.

          • @SulaymanF
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            141 year ago

            Sure we will. Like Vietnam and Watergate, 40 years from now we’ll have all those Republicans write autobiographies about how Trump was awful and how they tried to hold him back and how they were never on board with his atrocities and begging history to judge them separately. We’re already seeing hints of this with the Bush administration about Iraq.

            • @FinalBoy1975
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              41 year ago

              Yes, it’s quite predictable in politics to view the former politicians of the future writing their memoirs. History repeats itself a lot in the political arena.

    • rigatti
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      271 year ago

      I get what you’re saying, but Hunter did recently plead guilty to tax crimes.

      • keeb420
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        231 year ago

        not paying his taxes makes him smart. or so i was told.

        • Butt Pirate
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          61 year ago

          And also unlawfully possessing a firearm, but you’d expect the right to love that.

      • @Reliant1087
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        161 year ago

        He pled guilty to lying on a form about his addiction while purchasing a firearm and not paying taxes for two years while he was an addict (through he paid the back taxes after that eventually I think).

        I honestly appreciate the fact that everyone was transparent about this and chose to be upfront and take responsibility rather than do all the shit that republicans do when accused of something.

      • prole
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        141 year ago

        Oh so is the GOP going to start disparaging people for tax crimes? Usually that doesn’t hurt their opinion of people.

        Tax crimes by a private citizen do not warrant the resources being used up during this witch hunt.

    • Yewb
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      31 year ago

      My comments were more along the lines of no one is above the laws Democrats and Republicans.

      • Aesthesiaphilia
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        101 year ago

        Yeah but Republicans break those laws so much more often and to such a greater degree that it’s a false comparison.

    • @Pillarist
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      -111 year ago

      Don’t think that’s what the comment said… And I’m pretty sure Hunter pled guilty to a felony firearm charge and willfully failing to pay hundreds of thousands in taxes so, yeah, sounds like they’re both dicks. The argument that “your dick is bigger than my dick” is hilarious though.

      • Aesthesiaphilia
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        391 year ago

        Jesus fuck

        One side had a guy tax fraud and owning a firearm

        One side had a guy try to violently overthrow the government in order to install himself as dictator

        Gee, you’re right, they’re both equally bad WHAT THE FUCK HOW DUMB ARE YOU?

        • @Pillarist
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          1 year ago

          Well I got to enjoy a few weeks of it feeling different from Reddit around here…

          The comment at the head of this was stating that no one should be above the law. (<- That is a period.) Not that no one should be above the law if their crime is a certain amount of awful… Not that no one should be above the law depending on their political alignment. No one.

          Then the response was arguing that Hunter did nothing wrong! There’s no evidence of a crime! You shouldn’t say they’re all the same!!! No one said their crimes are the same. No one said they’re the same in any way beyond that they are citizens of a country that has laws and they should be held accountable if they break them… And yes, Hunter committed and admitted guilt to crimes… And it doesn’t put a red hat on someone’s head if they acknowledge a fact that doesn’t fit in with your agenda.

          I responded and enter you. You really weren’t worth this response because you said the same dumbass thing the other person did. Arguing a point that wasn’t made because you’re so cocked and loaded to encounter one of those dumb right wingers that you think if anyone disagrees with you they must be wearing a maga hat. Pull your head out of your ass.

          • Aesthesiaphilia
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            131 year ago

            I wasn’t talking about that. You also said

            so, yeah, sounds like they’re both dicks. The argument that “your dick is bigger than my dick” is hilarious though.

            bOtH sIdEs

            That’s what I was calling you fuckin stupid for. Repeating bullshit propaganda.

            No one said their crimes are the same.

            No, no, you didn’t say it…you just heavily implied it while winking and nodding in its direction. We’re not stupid, fuck off.

            • @Pillarist
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              1 year ago

              Lol relying on telling the other person what they were implying to create an argument for yourself. Followed by saying “we’re not stupid” as if you have a bunch of people around you’re speaking for.

              I said they’re both dicks. They both are. You want to argue the size, you go for it, I’d agree that Trump 100% is the “bigger dick” of the two, he’s absolute garbage, but since I’m not on some fanciful battlefield fighting in your war of the blues & reds, I wasn’t concerned with who tarnished their side the most. My concern was more geared toward the fact that rich folks shouldn’t get away with doing shit the rest of us can’t. If you’re going to make statements for you and, whoever else falls under “we,” about whether or not you all are “stupid,” you should make less assumptions, it doesn’t help your case.

              • Aesthesiaphilia
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                31 year ago

                since I’m not on some fanciful battlefield fighting in your war of the blues & reds, I wasn’t concerned with who tarnished their side the most.

                That’s a favored tactic of the red side.

                Both sides, impartial, enlightened centrism, yadda yadda.

                • @MelonTheMan
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                  61 year ago

                  It’s sad because “both sides bad” can be a valid argument, if it hadn’t been coopted as an undercover facist dog whistle.

                  • @Pillarist
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                    1 year ago

                    Anything to prevent “we don’t want to live under a 2 party dictatorship anymore” from being an option, right?

                • @Pillarist
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                  1 year ago

                  “if you’re not with us, you’re against us,” is somehow better? The only options are the options YOU give me? Shew, you got authoritarian with a quickness. The whole seeing the world in black & white isn’t a sign of much depth… It’s also the primary reason it’s hard to agree with “the red side” on a lot of their arguments. Hate something so much you start acting like it 🤦🏼‍♂️

          • Aesthesiaphilia
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            81 year ago

            Well I got to enjoy a few weeks of it feeling different from Reddit around here…

            The main difference is that now instead of constantly telling fascists to fuck off, I also sometimes get to tell tankies to fuck off.

            • @Pillarist
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              -31 year ago

              Says this and a reply later says people aren’t allowed to have opinions other than the ones (he/she/they?) offer, which is apparently “if you aren’t blue, you’re red.” 🤦🏼‍♂️

                • @Pillarist
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                  -11 year ago

                  🤦🏼‍♂️ exactly what you did when you joined the discussion arguing about a point that wasn’t made?

      • keeb420
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        61 year ago

        oh no some one took a plea deal. no if it can be shown he got special treatment as the presidents son, that i can outraged at. but people take plea deals all the time.

      • @[email protected]
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        201 year ago

        Sure, it’s not entirely ethical and a nepo baby, but to still compare him with Don Jr who is still continuing to spout election denialism and misinformation is a bit disingenuous. I agree, if Hunter committed any crimes he should pay just like anyone else, but him being a nepo baby isn’t the conversation we’re having right now.

          • Aesthesiaphilia
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            81 year ago

            but like, hasn’t he committed multiple felonies that generally do end up with people in jail?

            I’m take that seriously when the GOP starts complaining about all the other rich people who regularly do shit like this and face no consequences.

          • @[email protected]
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            61 year ago

            Don’t think I disagree with any of that. I would expand on it however and say there’s an order of priority, and of the people that should be barred from having anything to do with politics and go to jail, I would not say he’s anywhere close to the highest on the list of those priorities.

          • keeb420
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            51 year ago

            hunter hasnt gotten a security clearance after failing to accurately fill out his sf86 multiple times and then got bailed out for billions on a building he was underwater on and then got billions more from another country for “no reason” while having access to classified documents.